Abstract
Recently, there has been a renewed interest in thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion. A TPV device converts radiant energy from a high temperature incandescent emitter directly into electricity by photovoltaic cells. The current research at the U.S Naval Academy involves the design, construction and demonstration of a prototype TPV converter that uses a hydrocarbon fuel (such as natural gas) as the energy source. Since the photovoltaic cells are designed to convert radiant energy efficiently at a prescribed wavelength, it is important that the temperature of the emitter be nearly constant over its entire surface. The U.S Naval Academy is developing a small emitter (with a high emissivity) that can be maintained near 1478 K (2200F). This paper describes the computer spreadsheet model that was written as a tool to be used for the design of the high temperature emitter.
Published Version
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